NYC Half Marathon

5 Nov – 8 March

18 weeks of base aerobic training. 30-35 miles a week. Main runs: Monday 60+ minutes at HR 150. Did two at HR 155 towards the end. Thursday 200/200 fartlek on the track. 200 at 5k pace (around 6:00 or 45 seconds per 200). 200 15-18 seconds slower. Ranged from 5k – 85 total. Got down to 42-43 seconds for the fast parts. Saturday long run. Got up to a couple 12-milers on the trails along the Palisades. At the end ran an aerobic test that indicated I could hold 6:5? at a HR in the low 160s. About the HR I should be able to hold for a half and right around the 6:52 pace that would equate to a 1:30 finish (which for some reason is what I put down for my expected finish time when I applied to the lottery back in December).

I also did a couple 10.7 mile quite hilly trail races (they were each 1 loop of 3-loop 50k races). The first one in January went well (1:38). The second in February did not (1:44).

This would be my first road race over 10k. (I raced one 10k like a million years ago.)

9 March – 17 March

Sick. Only run was 3 miles on Sunday the 11^th. Finally felt over it on St Patrick’s Day.

6:30 PM Saturday

Sat down to St Patrick’s Day dinner at our house with 4 other family’s from town. I made a potato leek soup with cheddar cheese and crispy bacon toppings. Had a nice big bowl of that. And a medium plate of corned beef and cabbage, of course. And two Guinness 16 oz. Drafts. And then 2 Pepsis. And a slice of mint chocolate torte.

9:00 PM Saturday

Bed.

4:00 AM Sunday

Woke up.

4:15 AM

Wasn’t going back to sleep so got up and had some oatmeal and OJ.

6:00 AM

Got to the Park entrance and find some port-o-potties. While I was standing in line I noticed a gut lying on the group on a towel with some headphones in his ears, just chilling in the cool morning air. The bag next to him read, “3 – Meb.” I then became aware that the other people in line with me were all very thin. And also had some very low numbers on their bibs and bags. Apparently I had wandered into the “Elite Athlete Hydration” area. No one seemed to mind though.

6:45 AM

Got into the “Million Man March” that was the port-o-potty line that was just for my corral. In fact it was one of two lines just inside my corral.

7:15 AM

Last port-o-potty visit.

7:30 AM

We’re off!

Miles 1 – 10

And he’s how it went for the first 10 miles (This is from my Garmin. It seemed to hit the miles progressively sooner and sooner. It had the last 0.1 as 0.2. So probably my paces were just a bit slower than this.)

Mile	Avg HR	Pace	Overall	Total	Projection
1	146	7.15	7.15	7.15	94.59
2	162	6.52	7.04	14.07	92.28
3	163	6.35	6.54	20.42	90.23
4	164	6.56	6.55	27.38	90.30
5	167	6.59	6.55	34.37	90.42
6	166	6.40	6.53	41.17	90.08
7	165	7.21	6.57	48.38	91.01
8	164	5.58	6.50	54.36	89.24
9	164	6.44	6.49	61.20	89.16
10	164	7.01	6.50	68.21	89.32

Mile 1 Just feeling things out.

Mile 2 Right on pace.

Mile 3 Downhill.

Mile 4 Long uphill at north of park but also some downhill.

Mile 5 Some gradual hills. More up than down.

Mile 6 Downhill. Right buttock began to get tight somewhere in here.

Mile 7 Down 7^th Ave. Got a stitch in here somewhere. Stopped at water station and made sure to drink 2 cups.

Mile 8 Downhill and decided to speed up to see if stitch would go away. It did.

Mile 9 Downhill for 1^st half but then hit Westside Highway. Concrete. Hard. Me no like.

Mile 10 With 9 in the bag I was feeling good and thinking sub 1:30 was within sight. When I passed the 15k mark I was thinking, “Hey, that’s a 15k PR! And it was also a 12k PR a while back! And it will be a 10-mile PR in just a bit.” At 9.75 I realized things were not going to end well even if it was, by default, going to be a 13.1 PR.

Miles 11 – 13.1

Even though mile 10 was 7.01 I was already up to 7:10 at the end of it and quickly going in the wrong direction. Both my hip flexors had begun cramping and I couldn’t get any knee lift what so ever. I stopped at one point and a guy yelled to encourage me to use my arms. So I did. I was pumping them furiously for a while but my legs were still stuck in a shuffle. I’m actually completely surprised that my times for mile 11 and mile 12 were as fast as they were. Up through mile 10 only the odd person every once in a while passed me. In these 2 miles people were going by me constantly. That all changed, though, in mile 13. In mile 13 people were going past me like they were headed for a Who concert. I was in complete and utter agony. That I actually finished is testament to either will power or stupidity… or just the fact that there was no other way to go except past the finish line.

Mile	Avg HR	Pace	Overall	Total	Projection
11	160	7.26	6.53	75.47	90.15
12	155	7.40	6.57	83.27	91.06
13	137	10.53	7.15	94.20	95.04
13.1	130	1.58	7.21	96.18	96.18

The Medical Tent

Once I crossed the line and “relaxed” my right hip flexor went into full cramp. Some guys helped me to the medical tent were they lay me down and a nice lady jammed her thumb into my groin area as hard as she could while another one poured salt into my open hand and told me to lick it. Then they gave me some soup. After a while I stopped cramping and they kicked me out of the nice warm medical tent.

Verdict

Despite the painful finish it was quite a success. I wanted to find out how long I could hold 6:52 pace and I found out. And it was at the upper end of what I could reasonably have expected. (The swift decline after that was beyond what I expected as well… but, oh well.)

4th Aerobic Test

Completed my 4th every-6-weeks aerobic test this week. Roughly 1.5 miles at several HR levels with 90 seconds standing rest in between. About the same as last time except the top end was faster. Went too fast on the 1st leg so it just become the HR 140 one.

--- ---- --1-- --2- --3- --4-
HR 130 9:14 9:13 8:39 ----
HR 140 8:43 8:37 8:07 8:24
HR 150 7:55 7:56 7:36 7:30
HR 160 7:19 7:21 6:52 6:54
HR 170 ---- 7:07 6:20 5:55

NYC Half Marathon a week from Sunday.

Febapple Frozen 50 -- 10.7 Mile Version

Did the one-loop 10-mile version of the Febapple Frozen Fifty series of races at South Mountain Reservation on Saturday. Missed a turn with a bunch of other folks and it become a 10.7 mile loop. Went out just behind the leaders for 2 miles at around 7:30 pace and then had a miserable time on the longish uphill portions. Never really felt all that good at any point. Finished in around 1:45 or so. Disappointing for the most part.

Aerobic Test #3

Completed my 3rd every-6-weeks aerobic test this week. Roughly 1.5 miles at several HR levels with 90 seconds standing rest in between. Made significant progress since the last one. Still only did 0.5 mile at the 170 level but much quicker than last time.

--- ---- --1-- --2- --3-
HR 130 9:14 9:13 8:39
HR 140 8:43 8:37 8:07
HR 150 7:55 7:56 7:36
HR 160 7:19 7:21 6:52
HR 170 ---- 7:07 6:20

Watchung not-so-Winter not-so-Ultra

I ran the one-loop 10.7-mile version of the Watchung Winter Ultra race put on by NJ Trail Series on Saturday. My goal was to try and maintain around 160 HR and see if I could do that for the whole time. I guessed this might put me around 9-minute per mile pace or around 1:38 or so for the one loop around the Sierra trail that all the day's races were run on. Well I ended up running 1:38 and change for something like 9:04 pace overall... but nothing like I had planned. After a couple miles I was comfortably following two guys and HR was 160-2. Just like I wanted. Then for some unknown reason I decided to try and move up behind a bigger group that was 30-40 yards ahead. Soon after I passed the two guys I was with and started to try to gain on the bigger group we hit a long uphill. So not only did I not catch the group ahead I spiked my HR much higher than I should have. That would end up costing me. After 4 miles I was on 8:30 pace and that was too quick. The rest of the way I was passed by a bunch of runners including the two guys I should have stayed with. The last 2 miles or so my right calf began hinting at cramping and then actually cramped. Pretty clearly I could hve run the same overall time with a lot less effort had I been smarter about it. I'll see if I can be smarter at the FebApple race in February. Pretty much the same distance but at South Mountain instead of Watchung.

New Year's Day 5Ks (Yes, 2 of them!)

Ran the Fair Lawn 1st Day 5k at 11:00 this morning with Will. He ran 23:08 and took 1st place for 10-14. Then we drove over to Wayne and did the Passaic County Runners Club Winter Series opener at 2:00. He ran 22:38 on a hilly course. Pretty good start to the year.

NYC Half

Got into the NYC Half Marathon on March 18th via the lottery!

Aerobic Test #1

Six weeks into my base period plan I did my first aerobic re-test. Here are the results compared with my initial pre-plan test...

HR 130 9:14 9:13
HR 140 8:43 8:37
HR 150 7:55 7:56
HR 160 7:19 7:21
HR 170 7:07

For the 170 interval this time I only ran half the prescribed distance. I stopped because I felt terrible and was not even able to get my HR up to 170. Only to about 165 or so. But I suppose that's an improvement on not running it at all. And I'm looking for any improvement since the test was pretty much flat compared to the initial test.

Thing is, though, I was sick for the 3 days before running the test and didn't do anything those days. Not sure why I felt the need to do he test right away. Should have waited until the following week after having gotten better and had a few rays of running back under my belt.

Let's see if we can be a little smarter six weeks from now.

Base Period Plan

Weekly Base Period Plan (based on Max HR of 183)

Sat 1:30 Long on Trails HR 140-145
Sun 1:00 Recovery on Trails HR 130-135
Mon 1:15 Steady on Road or Path HR 150 (Start with short then the 75 minutes)
Tue 0:45 Recovery HR 130-135
Wed 1:00 Easy HR 135-140
Thu 1:15 Steady on Road or Path HR 150 (Start with short then the 75 minutes)
Fri 0:45 Easy HR 135-140

Before starting I did an aerobic test as prescribed by the plan. The test consists of running 2400 meters at HR 130, then 140, then 150, then 160, then 170 with 90 seconds standing rest between each interval. My initial test resulted in these paces at the given HRs...

130 9:14
140 8:43
150 7:55
160 7:19

I skipped the 170 interval because I didn't feel so good running even at 160.

We shall see how it goes.

2011 Re-cap

Injuries kept me from running the 5th Avenue Mile this year so one try at the 5:00 mark at 50+ years old has passed. Starting a new training cycle with a base period of undetermined length. As Lydiard said: "for as long as necessary." Using a plan based on one described by John Hadd on Let's Run. HR-based and meant to develop the full range of the aerobic system over time. I'll describe it in more detail some time.

Ran the Ridgewood and Tenafly 5ks this past week with Will. On Memorial Day in Ridgewood he took 1st place in the 9-year old and younger group with a 2 minute and 33 second PR of 22:58. On Sunday in Tenafly he took 1st place for 4th graders from Tenafly in 23:23. His goal had been to run under 24:00 this spring so he did it for both and even got under 23:00 for Ridgewood. His mile splits for Ridgewood were 7:40, 7:40, 6:46. It's a flat, fast course but it was very hot out. With better weather and more even pacing perhaps he could have gone even faster. The Tenafly course is a bit tougher with two non-trivial uphill sections and he didn't seem to be feeling as good as he did at Ridgewood but the weather was perfect. His mile splits were around 7:25, 7:50, 7:20, with a full out sprint at the downhill end.

May Update

Finished up my extended base-building period after having to take 6 weeks off in February and March due to illness and then back spasms. Feel like I am now back to where I was at the end of January. Got in my two hill sessions this week: first with 5 reps of high knees and then with 6 reps. Next week shooting for 7 and then 8. Then it's two weeks of bounding and then 2 weeks of springing before a transition week and then into 1-mile type training with lots of 400 meter repeats etc.

A couple weeks ago ran the Wednesday night XC 5K for a second time this year at took 42 seconds off my first effort for a course PR of 19:48. Last year my best (well, only, actually) time on that course was 20:30 in mid-July. So I seem to be well ahead of last year, which is the plan. A week later I paced Will to a 25:28, 1:42 below his course PR of 27:10 from the previous week. The course wasn't even that fast as it was soaked from rain all week but it was perfect running weather as it was a bit cool with a bit of a mist coming down.

Planning on pacing Will through the Ridgewood 5K on Memorial Day and then perhaps racing the Tenafly 5k on my own the following Sunday. If so would be shooting for sub 19:00 with 18:36 (6:00 pace) as a stretch goal.

Easter Run with Scott Jurek

Will and I did one loop (6.55 mile quarter marathon) around Van Cortland Park at the Easter Holiday Marathon. Scott Jurek was there jogging with the crowd. He jogged along with us for a bit and asked Will a bunch of questions. The course was mostly flat but had two hilly sections with pretty good climbs. Will did 1:07 (10:15 pace) for the loop.

Good Friday Grilled Cheese Run

A 10-mile figure-8 loop around the northern reaches of the Palisades Interstate Park starting and ending at the State Line Lookout Cafe at the State Line Lookout area just south of Exit 3 of the Palisades parkway and going as far south as the Park Headquarters and the Closter Dock Trail via the "Giant Stairs" and two ascents of the 0.3-mile 540 foot Forest View Trail.

Probably 40% hiking and 60% running.

The starting and ending point: the not-yet-in-service seasonal water fountain behind the State Line Lookout Cafe at the State Line Lookout area just south of Exit 3 on the Palisades Interstate Parkway.

On the way down to the Hudson along the Shore Trail just over the New York border at the northern most point of the loop.













Further down the Shore Trail just above the falls known as Peanut Leap Cascade.












Looking back north from the low point of the Giant Stairs with the Tappen Zee Bridge (and a random hiker) in the background.











Typical sections of the Giant Stairs.



Southern end of the Giant Stairs.



















View from the Women's Monument just south of the top of the Forest View Trail ascent.














The Women's Monument.














North-bound along the Upper Shore Trail.














The End.

XC 5K Series Begins

The NJ Trail Series Wednesday night XC 5K series started up again last night. Ran 20:30 -- exactly the same time I ran last year sometime in July the one time I actually raced. Probably went out a little too fast and was sucking wind almost the whole way. Hoping I can take 1:00 off of this time by the end of the summer. Will ran 1:10 faster then he did for the 1st race last year even though he wasn't feeling good and had multiple stitches pretty much throughout. He improved by almost 2:00 from his first race to his last last year and I would think something similar might happen this year.

Long Layoff and Lost Brook Trail Race

Had a somewhat long layoff for all of February and the 1st 2 weeks of March. Got sick for 10 days then had back spasm issues for 4 weeks. Finally got in 2 weeks of somewhat steady running leading up to the Lost Brook Trail Race that was held in the Tenafly Nature Center. Back in the fall I had harbored fantasies of running near 80 minutes for the 10-mile version of the race. As it was I ran the first 50-mile loop with Will and the second 5-mile loop on my own. Will did the 5 in 52:13. I did the second loop in 41:30. That would have been good for 6th place in the 5-mile race. (5th was 41:00... 4th was in the 37s... so might have been able to snag a top 5). Think a could have done 85:00 if had gone steady around 8:30 pace.

Muddy Marathon is at the end of the month so need to keep re-building the base and get in some big hills.

December and January Progress

Much of December was low mileage (20/week or so) but good progress in January.

Long runs so far...

12 Home to Allison Park in Englewood Cliffs & Back via TNC & PIP Trails
10 Around Pyramid Mt St Park
10 Around South Mountain with NJ Trail Running Group
10.7 One Loop of the Watchung Winter Ultra (conditions too tough for 2nd loop attempt)
9.7 On the Treadmill

Could be more of that treadmill thing as snow on trails now must be measured in feet!

Recent Week.. All on Treadmill at 2% incline...

Sat Off
Sun 90 Min Treadmill Long (9.7 miles)
Mon 50 Min Treadmill Recovery (5.3)
Tue 50 Min Treadmill 15-min warm up, 30 min Steady State, 5 min cool down (5.8)
Wed 50 Min Treadmill Recovery (5.3)
Thur 50 Min Treadmill w/ 3 x Hills (5.4)
Tue 50 Min Treadmill 15-min warm up, 30 min Steady State, 5 min cool down (6.2)

340 minutes / 37.7 miles

Goal of Steady State runs is to get HR in 155-160 range for the 30 minutes.

Tuesday's run was on a Woodway treadmill at the gym. 2% incline was too much on this one. I think this treadmill is actually harder even with no incline compared to running outside on road or track. It has a very sot feel and really absorbs a lot of energy. Friday's was on home treadmill and speed got up to 8.2 mph and HR up to 155 at end. So need to recalibrate for gym treadmill and can go a bit faster at home.

Goal is to get these Steady State runs down to around 6:35 pace (9.2 mph) by end of February.

Plan for 2011

Planned Training Plan

1. 12 weeks or so Aerobic Base Building through February. Trying to go longer. Maybe up to 14+ for long run. 40+ for week. Tuesday/Friday Steady State "workout" runs.

2. 6 weeks Hills. Tuesday/Friday hill workouts. 2 weeks each of High Knees, Bounding, then Springing.

3. 11 weeks 5k training based on the Younger Legs 5k plan.

4. 10 weeks 1-mile training leading into 5th Ave Mile in September.

Planned Races (Goal)

Apr Lost Brook 10-mile Trail Race, Tenafly Nature Center (Good Hard Effort - No Bonk!)
Apr Muddy Half Marathon (Avoid the DNF!)
Apr-Sep 5k Wednesday Cross Country Series (Mostly Tempo - Sometimes Racing)
Jun Tenafly 5k (6:00-pace)
Jun Bloomfield Sunset Classic 5-mile Road Race (Course PR: 31:20)
Aug Mahlon Mayhem 25k Trail Race (Start & Finish)
Sep Closter 5k (18:0?)
Sep 5th Avenue Mile (5:00 or better)
Oct Mountain Madness 25k (Start & Finish)

We'll see how it goes!

Fall 5Ks

Ran a couple 5ks this fall. 19:31 in Norwood on a flat course. 19:22 in Montclair on a tough course. Was following the 11 week 5k plan pretty closely with a goal of running a final one in early December. But I got sick and just seemed like I needed a break after the Montclair race in mid-November. So just starting up again and will spend the winter base building.

5th Avenue Mile 2010

Last year: 80, 91, 86, 85 for 5:42.

This year: 73, 81, 80, 79 for 5:14 (fractions rounded it up).

Was hoping to break 5:20 so very happy with this.

After the 5k 3 weeks ago did several 400m repeat workouts and one 800m repeat workout.

I guess they helped.

Doesn't look like I'll get to 5:00 before my 50th but the prospects are looking better for a post-50th 5:00 mile.